2011 Video Games Thread

[dubb93]

Madden franchise mode update:

hxxp://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1168111p1.html

Full article is from IGN and is in the spoiler tags, but the actual website has pictures and better formatting.

Spoiler

"Any given Sunday" isn't just the title of a bad football movie; it's an old adage that you never know what you're going to get when players step out on the field. Anything can happen. Your star QB could sling it five yards past every receiver. Your shaky rookie cornerback might come up clutch with a game-changing interception. Over the course of weeks and seasons, players are defined by their tendencies and begin assuming roles in their teams.

Madden NFL 12 developer Tiburon recognizes this and has made it part of the core upgrade to Franchise mode. It's true, Madden has disappointed with its Franchise mode the past few years, but that looks to be changing this year. The amount of improvements is staggering, but the most significant are the additions of dynamic player performance and player roles.

Madden NFL 12 Gameplay Trailer

Dynamic Player Performance

Players rarely maintain the same level of performance throughout a season. There are good days and bad. In Madden NFL 12's Franchise mode, consistency and confidence are major factors in how a player's performance varies throughout a season.

Michael Vick can be thrilling to watch one week and agonizing to watch the next. His inconsistency can swing his Madden rating by some 20 points, which sounds crazy, but isn't too far-fetched. Peyton Manning, by contrast, remains the most consistent QB in the NFL. When Peyton steps onto the field, you can be fairly certain of the quality of his performance.

Rookies tend to be less consistent, capable of jaw-dropping plays followed by boneheaded ones week in and week out. And as players learn and mature (if they mature), they gain consistency. It matters this year if a player is a rookie ***8211; not just because they may have a lower overall rating, but because that rating can fluctuate greatly. Letting a rookie sit and learn is actually a viable strategy in Franchise mode.

The other weekly factor in dynamic player performance is confidence. This comes down to hot and cold streaks. If Antonio Cromartie remembers all his children's names and gets a pair of picks against the Giants, he's going to be riding high into the next week. So much of the game is said to be mental and so a player's mindset factors into their stats on Sunday. Streaks only last a maximum of three weeks before resetting, preventing a player from having an inflated rating the entire season.

Player Roles

Tom Brady is a playoff performer. He's good in the regular season, but something kicks in during the playoffs that boost his ability to win games. Mark Brunell has become a mentor. His role is to support the development of Jets QB Mark Sanchez. Having Brunell as mentor has Sanchez learning and improving at a faster rate. Adrian Peterson is fumble prone. It's in his head now. In big moments, he's more likely to cough up the rock. Sadly, that's his role right now on the Vikings. (EA hasn't revealed if Peterson has the Fumble Prone role; if not, we should riot.)

Roles aren't given, they're earned. In each offseason, every player is analyzed to see if they meet specific criteria for a role. If so, they enter the next season tagged as such. These roles can have a big influence in games. After all, clutch performers can do things they just couldn't ever hope to do the first 55 minutes of a game. A switch turns on and they make good things happen. Some roles can have a positive effect on a player or team and others, like the unfortunate "fumble prone" role, can be negatives that follow a player until they find a way to shake the tag.


But roles go beyond game-day performance. The general manager for each computer-controlled team factors roles into his decision on free agents and draft picks. After all, if you have a "quarterback of the future" on the team, there's no reason to draft a QB in the first round. If a team is built on pounding the ball up the middle, they're going to try and sign a running back in free agency who fits the role.

And, of course, roles are going to change the way you build your own franchise. Roles aren't defined at the draft but on the field. So you won't know who is a showboater versus a work horse, but the difference could impact your ability to win games in the long run. And who knows, maybe over time a player will settle down, gain a veteran's mentality, and get serious about winning a championship. When trading or signing free agents, you're going to have to give extra weight to a player's role. All things being equal, I'm taking the playoff performer ***8211; heck, he's worth an extra million a year if he can help get us to the Super Bowl.

Here are some of the 20+ roles in Madden NFL 12:

Team Mentor
Team Leader
Injury Prone
Run Stopper
Franchise Quarterback
Defensive Playmaker
Offensive Playmaker
Playoff Performer
Shutdown Corner
Pass Rusher
Trench Warrior
Fumble Prone
Underachiever
Project Player
1st Round Pick
Future Star
Iron Man
QB of the Future
Feature Back



Tie consistency and confidence with the new player roles system and you have a Franchise mode that tests your GM and coaching abilities. Madden's Franchise mode last year was merely a bunch of seasons strung together. This year, players evolve over the course of a football dynasty. It's no longer just about the rating you see at the start of the season. Now, it's about the impact a player can have on your team and his level of consistency every given Sunday.

That's just part of the big changes coming to Madden NFL 12's Franchise mode. Check back Monday for more details on what's been added this year.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

They have just lunched the website for the upcoming "Game of Thrones" PC Game, which is called: "A Game Of Thrones - Genesis".

A Game Of Thrones - Genesis

It's a real time strategy game.

The current release date is: July 30, 2011.

I am not excited by this game. I hope it's good, but I will most certainly be waiting for some reviews from some trusted sources before buying it.

I'll check reviews, too, to see if there are any dongs in it.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I'll check reviews, too, to see if there are any dongs in it.

FYI: Watching True Blood, Season 2, episode 7. Saw a dong in it for you. Shows up real early-like.

[JonInMiddleGA]

MW3 FB page just launched a few minutes ago, along with a :35 trailer. Looks like Makarov has made it to NYC. No game play footage, just some stylized stuff with character voiceovers.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

MW3 FB page just launched a few minutes ago, along with a :35 trailer. Looks like Makarov has made it to NYC. No game play footage, just some stylized stuff with character voiceovers.

I wonder what happens if the IW guys win their lawsuit, since one of their claims is that, contractually, they hold the rights to anything "Modern Warfare". Does Activision scrub the game? Can they just rename it?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I wonder what happens if the IW guys win their lawsuit, since one of their claims is that, contractually, they hold the rights to anything "Modern Warfare". Does Activision scrub the game? Can they just rename it?

Based on what's out there (or what I've seen of it rather), I have a difficult time imagining a scenario where they're going to win anything. Activision are almost certainly complete jerks to work for, but that isn't generally actionable.

If you watch the trailer though, there's a brief reference to "America" with a pseudo-Cyrillic backwards "e". I suspect that's all or part of a revised if one became necessary.

[tyketime]

I bought the Portal 2 + Portal combo pack (having never played the original). Late this afternoon, I was on Level 17 of Portal 1, and all of a sudden I started feeling nauseous. Ugh! I actually got sick playing the game. This has only ever happened to me at arcades playing the racing games with the large screens (which I never play anymore). I can't believe it. Makes me a bit worried about my Portal 2 investment. I was probably playing for 30-40 minutes at that point. Maybe smaller play sessions are in order for that game.

[Radii]

ginger pills help me immensely with motion sickness in video games, give it a try.

[samifan24]

Is anyone else picking up LA Noire this week?

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by samifan24

Is anyone else picking up LA Noire this week?

Picking it up tomorrow night.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by samifan24

Is anyone else picking up LA Noire this week?

I pre-ordered it from Amazon.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by samifan24

Is anyone else picking up LA Noire this week?

Can't wait to get it. Pre-ordered.

[Groundhog]

Any early reviews of LA Noire around the web, or initial impressions? I'm intrigued, though I don't know if it's my kind of game.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Any early reviews of LA Noire around the web, or initial impressions? I'm intrigued, though I don't know if it's my kind of game.

Only one I saw was from The Guardian in the UK that subsequently was pulled. Called the game near perfect though and gave it a 5/5.

[Neon_Chaos]

Will be buying LA Noire as a birthday present for myself.

Can't wait to see John Noble in it.

[Comey]

Getting it for the girlfriend and myself. She's looking forward to it as much as I am.

[Izulde]

LA Noire is out this week? Hmm, DA 2 or LAN?

[MizzouRah]

I'll pick up LA Noire as soon as I can finally finish up a few games I've been trying to find time to play.

[DeToxRox]

LA Noire gets a 9 from Destructoid and an 8.5 from IGN.

[Scoobz0202]

Anybody know if the 24 hour super Wal-Marts stock their new release games right at midnight. I'll be up writing a paper pretty late and if I could head to wal-mart and get it I'd do that.

[RainMaker]

I've never found them to. Might call around to some local Gamestops and see if they'll be open.

Mine just shipped, looking forward to hitting this later in the week.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I'll pick up LA Noire as soon as I can finally finish up a few games I've been trying to find time to play.

With sports games I'm psychotic. All are day one purchases. With gaming systems, I always try to hold off and then get sucked in and buy them a couple of weeks in.

With standard games, I'm actually pretty good. I bought and started Fallout 4 this weekend. I've been playing Zelda: Twilight Princess on my DS when I'm traveling and I'm busy playing The Show when I'm not doing the other two.

I'm really looking forward to LA Noire, but I won't be playing it for a couple of months.

[Scoobz0202]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I've never found them to. Might call around to some local Gamestops and see if they'll be open.

Mine just shipped, looking forward to hitting this later in the week.

I tried to get cute and showed up a half hour before they closed. Picked up Portal 2 and said I'd like to pay for L.A. Noire and pick it up tomorrow or something while hoping they would just slip it in my bag Didn't work

But they did say they'll be there at midnight so I'll probably just run up there in a few hours.


ps. Never played Portal 1 so I don't know why i picked up Portal 2 other then I've been hearing a lot about it. Maybe I should buy the first one on the PSN before I start the second one?

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by TroyF

With sports games I'm psychotic. All are day one purchases. With gaming systems, I always try to hold off and then get sucked in and buy them a couple of weeks in.

With standard games, I'm actually pretty good. I bought and started Fallout 4 this weekend. I've been playing Zelda: Twilight Princess on my DS when I'm traveling and I'm busy playing The Show when I'm not doing the other two.

I'm really looking forward to LA Noire, but I won't be playing it for a couple of months.

I'm probably with you there.. I just don't have the gaming time right now to fully dig myself into what should be a VERY engrossing game.

[cartman]

I just got the shipping notice that LA Noire is going to be delivered tomorrow. Unfortunately I'm in Houston until Friday.

[DeToxRox]

L.A Noire probably has the coolest introduction to a game I have played.

[Scoobz0202]

I can't wait. Sitting here as it installs. LETS GO DAMN IT

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

I tried to get cute and showed up a half hour before they closed. Picked up Portal 2 and said I'd like to pay for L.A. Noire and pick it up tomorrow or something while hoping they would just slip it in my bag Didn't work

But they did say they'll be there at midnight so I'll probably just run up there in a few hours.


ps. Never played Portal 1 so I don't know why i picked up Portal 2 other then I've been hearing a lot about it. Maybe I should buy the first one on the PSN before I start the second one?

We had a midnight open for LA Noire today. All of two people showed up. It was hilarious.

[Scoobz0202]

Yea, I arrived to get mine at 12:10 and I was the only one there and there were four people working. They gave me a 360 copy and I didn't notice till I got home. When I went back I was the only one there again.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

ps. Never played Portal 1 so I don't know why i picked up Portal 2 other then I've been hearing a lot about it. Maybe I should buy the first one on the PSN before I start the second one?

You can certainly play Portal 2 without having played Portal 1. However, Portal 1 is a good game in its own right, and worth a playthrough. It will get you used to portal-thinking, etc, plus some of the story in Portal 2 will make a bit more sense (all the references to "You monster", for example).

Portal 2 does far more with the dialog and storytelling as payoff for completing the puzzles, so it may spoil Portal 1 for you if you play it first then go back to Portal 1.

[DataKing]

What, no LA Noire First Impressions thread? Slackers.

[MizzouRah]

Here are some from Bill Abner:

L.A. Noire: 4 Hours In | No High Scores

[RainMaker]

Got LA Noire at work with me. Any idea why it's 3 discs? Am I going to be swapping them out all the time?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Abner's notes very quickly hit on why this game held no real appeal to me (in terms of playing it) from very early on

Much like Mafia II was an "open world" game, so is LA Noire. In other words, it isn't.

[DaddyTorgo]

open world > fake open world

fuck that. be one or the other.

[RainMaker]

I don't get why game makers are so opposed to open world games. It's not like they have trouble selling.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Got LA Noire at work with me. Any idea why it's 3 discs? Am I going to be swapping them out all the time?

The game is 25gb and fills up a blu ray disk. It's massive.

Rockstar said you won't be swapping disks very often. Just to advance to new sections of the game.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I don't get why game makers are so opposed to open world games. It's not like they have trouble selling.

I imagine it's a shit-ton more work. Like significantly.

Which is fine - not every game has to be open world. But if your game isn't then don't try to sell it/make it seem like it is.

[mckerney]

http://www.gog.com/en/news/gog_com_s...ssic_ea_titles

"With today’s announcement three widely known and much awaited brands get the revival treatment from GOG.com: Wing Commander: Privateer, Dungeon Keeper and Ultima Underworld 1+2.

We will be adding more than 25 titles from EA over the next few months, so the games will be unveiled gradually, but we can already reveal that the next upcoming titles from this huge deal are: Crusader: No remorse, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and Magic Carpet."

Hooray!

"While the agreement between Electronic Arts and GOG.com brings back many acclaimed and well known franchises, it doesn’t include the much anticipated System Shock or Syndicate series at this time."

Booo!

[cartman]

Carmegeddon is coming back!

The Escapist : News : Carmageddon: Reincarnation Roars to Life

[RainMaker]

Anyone picking up inFamous 2?

[mckerney]

As someone who's played a lot of Puzzle Quest and solitaire Runespell: Overture is a game I'm planning to pick up.

[mckerney]

Early word on Duke Nukem Forever is that it is really bad. Not surprising after the demo played like a crappy console shooter.

[dubb93]

Did anyone really expect Duke to be good? That said I still have it pre-ordered and can't wait to play it.

[Atocep]

It makes me wonder what kind of shape it was in when Gearbox got it.

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Did anyone really expect Duke to be good? That said I still have it pre-ordered and can't wait to play it.

I was naively hoping. I had pre-ordered it, just requested a refund. My understanding is that's allowed on pre-ordered games that have yet to be released.

[jeff061]

I will say I've never had a very high opinion of Gearbox. So yes, Gearbox being ok with releasing a polished turd under their name while 3d Realms would rather it die does not surprise me.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Did anyone really expect Duke to be good? That said I still have it pre-ordered and can't wait to play it.

I wasn't expecting it to be great but hoped it might be a decent game. Just about everything I've read on it though has the game being brutally bad as and FPS while being a terrible Duke Nukem game.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by jeff061

I will say I've never had a very high opinion of Gearbox. So yes, Gearbox being ok with releasing a polished turd under their name while 3d Realms would rather it die does not surprise me.

from all of the shorts I've seen, isn't gearbox made up of the same guys that were with 3d realms?

[jeff061]

Not recently. Pitchford did in the 90's.